hummingbirdkiss

grilled steak and lots of butter fried mushrooms

Ok I am taking marshmallows on my vacation to give as gifts!!! they are easy to pack ..people go crazy for them and why the heck not! I want to share my lastest batch of marshmallows ...because ..even though these look like just plain old marshmallows in pale colors. ..they are not the most attractive ones that is for sure.....I have to say by far these are the most tasty ones yet!!! One of them is a tamarind spiced one ...I put tamarind pulp and a splash of Rose's lime juice...in the Nightscotsmans recipe instead of 1/2 cup strawberries, then I added in the end of the whip the following mix 1 tsp of coriander seeds toasted with 1 tsp of cumin seeds ..1 tsp of crushed dried mint 1 tsp of kosher salt and 1 tsp of good and hot red chile powder these are so yummy! they taste like the Mexican or Asian sweet, hot, sour. salty tamarind candies only better with the taste/crunch of the seeds in there and the fact they are a marshmallow!! ...really good!!! the rest you see are Mango lime, Soursop (very very good!!!) and passion fruit...the only thing missing from this tasting plate would be a coconut and or banana flavored one to kind of round out the flavors... I know this sounds strange the but sweet, hot, salty, sour tamarind one with a beer was good!!!

Darn I was going to take some "phase" type pics and didn't ..but will this next round .....I did fold actually just like you said...and the way I saw in that amazing pumpernickel pic... both of the doughs felt soft but with a little pull to them ..they felt really good in my hands ..the flatter one was wetter for sure ...same percents in both ..so maybe the starter? I cooked them on a pan just to be sure I would not ruin them transferring them to the tiles ... I am not kidding when I say they taste spectacular..I can not believe how good the flavor is compared to what I used to bake .... now I am on a mission to get this right ..I will do another batch before I go on my vacation and see if it works ... I am also keeping notes on this as Baggy mentioned when I get it right I want to keep it right !!! Thank you so much ...all of you ...again for all the help !!! I am still not sure what starter I like best they all have such varying characters to them ..I hope they don't "localize" and loose the distinction ...

I STILL NEED MORE OF THOSE HOLES!!! the taste and tang are prefect the crust is just the way it should be ..both these loaves have wonderful flavor ....I love the shape of the one that is more round (that was the purchased starter) but it had less holes and less thag than the flat one that looked worse that one had lots of tang ... any hints by looking at them ? more hydration ..if so ..won't I have a pizza???? I really would like to get the nice round shape..same crust maybe a little more tang but not much it is very good right now......and all kinds of those wonderful holes insde ....

I loved reading this!!! I felt the same way and thought I was nuts the first time I made butter at home! same for maynaise I was in awe of not only myself..but how nice it looked and how wonderful everything tasted!!! life is good!!! thanks so much for such a happy post!! I am starved for breakfast now and want to go make butter for my toast!!!

I make wonderful pie pastry the kind people go nuts over and wonder just what it is I do that makes it so perfect top to bottom .. it took me years and years to get down but in the end ... the recipe is similar to the "Mamas" but I never ever use shortening I always use chilled lard in its place ..that and the unsalted butter make it just wonderful ...

Glennbech I just looked at your foodblog that was entirely helpful!!! thank you so much!!! I am going to make another sponge right this second ...my bread will have those holes!!!

"Did any of this make any sense ?" actually it took a minute but it did!!! thanks so much for breaking it down for me ....and I think once I measure it out and see what you mean it really will sink in....like everything else in life it is a learning process.... weighing and measuring has always been an issue to me ..but I am working on it... one more thing please while I have some attention on this subject? if the dough is really wet how do I get it off the pan I am resting it on into the oven? I have two strikes against me on a good day ...my oven is too high and I am too short!!! I usually just slide the loaves off onto my preheated stones ..but if they are wet loaves ..then they stick as they rise and do not move and I have ended up with a globby mess ... I never cared in the past how my breads turned out really if they tasted good ..but now that I am starting again I want accomplish a really nice loaf! thanks so much again this information is priceless and I am so appreciating it

Ok honestly??? I do not understand a lot of this stuff ...relative humidity..wet dry ratios... percentages all of that!!! I am sorry ....so please could some one spell it out ..ABC how can get a perfect loaf of sourdough with all kinds of sizes of holes in it? Just tell me what to do very simple form..I cook by learning a process and a great sense of feel ..the technical stuff well... I love reading it ..am impressed by how it sounds and have no clue how to apply it ..I am sorry I would be very grateful for the help so thank you so much in advance !!! OOOXXX

this sounds perfect to me thanks so much for posting ..I see a project for myself and my niece here ..she loves to make cookies and chocolate chip are her favorite!!

Thanks so much for the advise to both of you! I have taken them to Las Vegas twice it was good ... they other places I will check out .. The soul food place sounds like something they would enjoy for sure ...I would love to be able to have a line up and just spread out the dinners over the next year ..like send them a gift cert every couple of months.. it is hard being this far away from them ...I try to go four times a year but it still does not seem enough ...and time goes by fast!!!...things like sending them to dinner or movies kind of makes me feel a bit closer I guess ...

I like to add extra tumeric either fresh or powdered to curries because it pulls it together ..softens the flavors and just makes it what I like in a final product ..you will not distinguish it but you will know it is there ... oh yeah it does stain I agree ..that is why my girlfriend from Fiji has all black appliances!!!

ok try this it is not an exact recipe I am sorry for a paste 3 shallots 2 cloves of garlic chiles of your choice 1 tsp of fresh tumeric 1 tsp fresh cumin seed ground shy 1/4 cup good Madras Curry mash it all up together then put the paste on a LB of peeled prawns or chicken pieces set aside pour a neutral flavored oil in a pan... saute until crisp tender any veggies of your choice I love to use multi colored bell peppers for this and one sweet onion sliced then add the prawns or chicken saute around a bit until the aromas are released when the meat is partially cooked ..add a can of coconut milk bring to a low boil stirring well then reduce and simmer just a few min until the meat is done .. that is it

it gives a nice warm (not spicy hot or anything just subtle and warm) flavor to food I think and the color is amazing ..I love using fresh tumeric ..it is all over the place here ... yes just grate it fine like you do ginger then smash it into a paste of spices and add it to all kinds of curries. I add it to Caribbean and Asian style curries all the time it is good with anything stew wise I think or as mentioned soups you can also put it in rice dishes for color and nice flavor grate it and use about a heaping tsp in a dish the first time and see how you like it

I use an old fashioned steel wok very heavy purchased at an Asian market for very little money years ago ...it is worth the effort to season and build the character I think of your wok like people do with cast iron...nothing sticks to it when you do and it cooks so well!...no brand name it has an Asian symbol on the bottom...I actually have a propane burner that my husband set up to hold it ...outside to crank up the heat hotter than I can get in the house ..and stir fry on it there all year around ...it is awesome and worth it I think

While I use unsalted butter almost all the time I have used them both in all kinds of recipes and short of adjusting salt I have not found anything different in the final product. I have made fudge with both salted and unsalted and never had a problem with either ..just left out the salt in the recipe when I used the salted butter I do however use the stick with brand of butter because I think it has the best flavor and is consistant in quality.... maybe that is why I have no issues with it?

Now I am giving away a family secret for the best and quickest sauce I know of takes maybe 25 min start to finish and with pasta and some good cheese ..well fine dice one habanero pepper fine dice 3 cloves of garlic huge handful of chopped fresh Italian parsley 2-3 cans Cento whole italian plum tomatoes with basil put them in a bowl ..squash them up completely with my (freshly washed of course) hands set aside (this helps remove the habanero I just minced from my fingers before I make a serious mistake and rub my eyes) pour a lot of good olive oil in the pan ..get it almost smokey hot...toss the habenero, garlic and parsley into the pan sizzle for just a few seconds to release the aroma into the oil ..toss in the tomatoes and a glass of whatever wine you are drinking ..bring it to a hard boil stirring constantly then turn it down and simmer until the oil is at the top and the tomatoes become a nice dark red (15 min for me) that is it ..the best tomato sauce I can think of my kids wil attest it is the only recipe they all four fledged with and still love to make perfectly!

Thought I'd try again, since I honestly don't understand this statement. I use herbs frequently & am genuinely curious about what this means. Does anyone have an answer, or even a guess? ← I am guessing it means that it is as some herbs are more useful fresh or dried more then both this is one you can use equally as well dried and fresh ... hope that helps

I used to have favorite beers now with all the brew pubs and all the fantastic "new" beers around the Pacific Northwest...all I can say is tell me what to try and I will ..if it is cold ..fresh and on tap ..I am happy!!!

The Caspian Grill in the U-District has really good Persian Food. Cheers, thank you I will try it!

I did not know there were so many Century Village's ..that place is so confusing to me ..it is one Strip plaza after another with no landmarks in the distance I can not find my way at all! I am directionally impared anyway and used to at least having a mountain or something to know I am heading the right way ..when I go to Florida the only way I know I am going the correct direction is if I am righ on the water and the beach is on my left or right side depending!!! Other than that ..I am lost! They live close to I-75 and Pines? does that sound right? I should just ask but then I am afraid of ruining the surprise!!

My son-in-law is phobic about wooden spoons and cutting boards (his mother is an odd one that is for sure) ..(I can deal with any cutting board but not with out my spoons when I cook) ...so when I go see them I take my own spoons with me ...good thing his love of my cooking over powers his phobia about wooden spoons ...because he eats everything and never ever complains ...at least not to my face!!!

Ray I would love to know how to do an outdoor pizza oven!!!! are you kidding that would be a blast...I have a huge yard and plenty of room to do it ... I am a tried and true Juila fan and yes I am thrilled you told me that because my birthday is around the corner and my kids just asked what I "really" wanted this year...I live in a media void and really had not heard that!!! thank you so much!!!!

I love Tillamook sharp cheddar ..well I love all their cheddar cheeses ... actually I love all their cheese ...and ice cream and butter....and from my standpoint ..they are cheap enough to buy all the time and please most everyone while I have rarely met a cheese I did not love and I consider it my mission to taste all the cheese I can before I die!....I can not deal with anything that is labeled "cheese food product" they do not come off the inside of your mouth!!!!

I have had a lot of baking disasters (like forgetting the sugar in 6 apple pies and taking them to a party) ... that is for sure ...The only funnyish story I can think of ..was the first time I made a yeast dough at the top of the world in Santa Fe. I did not know there was a difference when you go to that high an altitude in how yeast rises ...I live at sea level so I use a standard amt of yeast... well my girls wanted cinnamon rolls so I made a HUGE batch of dough(you can never make too many cinnamon rolls for them that is for sure!) like I always do and went for a walk ..when I came back the BLOB had crawled out of my largest bowl... off the counter and across most of the kitchen floor ...it was still oozing when I walked in ..... the kids thought it was hysterical ....I had no idea!!!! now I use half the yeast for every recipe and stand by watching it !!!